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Central Australia Railway

The former Central Australia Railway, which was built between 1878 and 1929 and dismantled in 1980, was a 1241 km (771 mi) 1067 mm narrow gauge railway between Port Augusta and Alice Springs.[1] A standard gauge line duplicated the southern section from Port Augusta to Maree in 1957 on a new nearby alignment. The entire Central Australia Railway was superseded in 1980 after the standard gauge Tarcoola–Alice Springs Railway was opened, using a new route up to 200 km to the west. A small southern section of the original line between Port Augusta and Quorn has been preserved and is operated as the Pichi Richi Railway.

Naming

Whilst officially the Central Australia Railway, it has been known by a number of names.

Initially the northern end point had not be determined. Government acts and the press used a number of terms prior to construction including

After construction, railway was referred to as Port Augusta-Oodnadatta railway[2] before the line was extended towards Alice Springs and it was also referred to as the North-South Railway in possible anticipation to extend the line to Darwin.[3]

It has also often been referred to as the Great Northern Railway[4] in the 1890s and into the twentieth century. The most southern part of the line between Port Augusta and Quorn is now referred to as the Pichi Richi Tourist Railway.

Another colloquial name used was The Ghan, after the passenger train that utilised the line. It is suggested that The 'Ghan name is in recognition of the Afghan Cameleers that plied their trade in the area well before the railway; however, see The Ghan (Etymology) for alternatives. This colloquial term for the railway appears to have been widely in use from at least the early 1930s;[5] it may have been in use prior to this. The new Adelaide–Darwin railway line initially used The New Ghan as a trading name. It has now reverted to The Ghan, relegating the original line name colloquially as The Old Ghan.[6][page needed][7][page needed]

History

Proposal

From the proposal for a line heading north of Port Augusta to turning the first sod in 1878 took 18 years[10] and the process was referred to by the press as one "which has so far failed to extend itself out of the region of nebulous ideas.".[11]

The key issues reported at the time were:

Cost benefits

Significant debate about the cost delayed and eventually altered the final design. The costs were significant for the South Australian colony and there was rigorous debate over that period. Mineral extraction was touted as the key benefit,[12] with farming and passenger traffic deemed by many as being uneconomic alone although others suggest the key products were 'wool, station stores, and copper' in that order.[13] The cost per kilometre was set in the Acts which precluded more expensive options.[citation needed]

Gauge and minimum speed

There was fierce debate about the gauge of the line, the maximum weight to be carried and maximum speed as all three dictated the cost.

Route and end point

A multitude of routes and end-points were nominated with over a dozen potential routes explored, most of these to the north. End points that were discussed included Government Gums (Farina, South Australia (320 km), Yudnamutana, South Australia (390 km) and Beltana (232 km). The 1867 Act stated that the line would be 200 miles from Port Augusta. Newspapers of the time did mention extending the line to Port Darwin although this was not gazetted in Parliament.

State versus corporate

The State run South Australian Railways wanted to build the line and there were others who thought 'capitalists', predominantly from the United Kingdom, would offer better value for money. South Australian Railways developed a trial called the Northern Extension Railway to Burra to test the engineering capabilities.[14]

Legislation

The following Acts were passed by the parliament of South Australia and, after federation in 1901, the Australian parliament.

Construction

Design, construction, as well as a hiatus, occurred in four periods distinct under both South Australian and Federal Australian Governments over a fifty-year period.

Initial design and route

Remaining trackbed of the Central Australia Railway near Lake Eyre South after the rails were lifted in 1981. Much of the 1241 km (771 mi) railway was laid on bare earth without ballast.

Around 1871, there was general agreement between Robert C. Patteson, Assistant Engineer (report writer), H. C. Mais, (Engineer-in-Chief) and Surveyor General. George Goyder (creator of the Goyder line of rainfall) about the length and route of the railway.[13] All three could not see going further north than Beltana (232 km) due to rain fall and environment, The two options out of Port Augusta were the Western Plains and the Pichi Richi routes.[31] The Pichi Richi route, while more expensive, offered access to the farmland to the west.

An extensive permanent survey was conducted circa 1876 and the final route mapped to Government Gums due to the water available at the terminus.[32] The length was to be "198 miles 66.92 chains", and the route consisted of "no less than 64 bridges, ranging in length from 20 feet to 740 feet, 470 flood-openings from 10 to 40 feet wide, 550 culverts from 2 feet 6 inches to 10 feet wide, 61 pipe-drains,and 14 water courses".[32]

Initial build to Farina (Government Gums)

The first sod was turned at Port Augusta on 18 January 1878 and took until 1882 to reach Government Gums (320 km), 1884 Maree (372 km), 1888 Coward Springs (501 km) and finally Oodnadatta in 1891 (770 km). Construction was by South Australian Railways as a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway.[33][34][page needed]

Cessation of extending the line

Between 1891 and 1926, the railway line was not extended. Discussion occurred about if the existing line should be extended or commence a standard gauge railway from Tarcoola.[35][36] The South Australian Railways were transferred to the Australian Federal Government on 1 January 1911 however South Australian Railways continued running the service until 1 January 1926.[1] In 1926, Commonwealth Railways took over the running and commenced planning for extending the railway line north.

Completion from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs

A Commonwealth Railways poster of the 1940s advertising train travel to winter holidays in Central Australia. The scene is Heavitree Gap, or Ntaripe in the Arrernte language, 3.5 km (2 mi) south of Alice Springs railway station. Both the size of the cliff and the speed of the train bore no connection with reality.

Extending the line from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs commenced around 1926 and was completed on 6 August 1929.

The Northern Territory Act (Cth 1910) required the building of a north–south railway although no date was specified. Two unballasted routes were shortlisted with a standard gauge line from Kingoonya to Alice Springs estimated at 4.5m pounds and the 1.7m pound narrow gauge extension from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. The 270 miles 65 chain extension was passed after a number of debates in Federal Parliament.[37]

Railway workers were paid 5 pounds, 8 shillings a week and a request for this to be raised to 6 pounds per week was refused by Sir John Quick in the Federal Arbitration Court on 11 March 1927.[38]

The first train consisted of 12 carriages including Mail and Fruit vans. There were 60 first class and 60 second class passengers and left on 5 August 1929 however an official ceremony to be attended by the Prime Minister was cancelled due to the cost of running a special train.[39][40]

Operations

Conditions

The tortuously curving narrow-gauge line between Marree and Alice Springs was notoriously prone to delays, often caused by flash floods washing away bridges and tracks.[41] Some track was laid on sand without ballast, and wood sleepers were used, serving as food for termites, causing unstable tracks.[42]

Floods

The choice of route through the most arid regions of Australia was influenced above all by the need for water for steam locomotives. Since time immemorial, Aboriginal people had followed a chain of artesian springs and waterholes to sustain them when carrying ochre from the Far North of South Australia to trading places in the south. The explorer John McDouall Stuart followed a similar route during several expeditions between 1858 and 1862.[43] The route taken by the Overland Telegraph ten years later, to which Stuart is believed to have given attention during his travels, was very similar. When the railway route was surveyed, it was hardly surprising that it followed the reliable sources of water.[44]: 52  The downside – an endless source of frustration for the railway maintainers – was that washouts occurred at some locations almost every year. When heavy rains fell inland in New South Wales and Queensland, gigantic "flash floods" came down normally dry riverbeds; bridges, embankments and other earthworks gave way under the onslaught. All but the largest bridge were severely damaged or washed away entirely, and miles of track were washed out – almost every year at some locations.[8]: 21–24 

World War II

In 1944, it was reported that trains had increased on the line from the normal two a week to 56, whilst the North Australia Railway had increased from one a week to 147. Rolling stock, sidings, marshaling areas and water points for the steam engines were all key issues in increasing traffic on the line.[57]

Diesel locomotives

The first diesel-electric locomotive entered service in June 1954. It was one of 14 locomotives ordered for both the Central and North Australia Railway. Built by the Birmingham Carriage and Wagon company, the locomotives had a maximum range of about 1130 kilometres (700 miles) and were designed to haul 330 long tons (300 tonnes) at 50 kilometres per hour (31 miles per hour) on level track.[58]

Film

Shortly before the closure of the narrow gauge line in 1980, BBC Television filmed an episode of the television series Great Railway Journeys of the World featuring the original route of the Ghan (and the infamously slow speed of the train).[citation needed]

Decline, conversion to standard gauge and closure

After World War II, the railway line existence became questionable for a number of reasons:

Standard gauge line to Marree

In 1949, both South Australia and the Federal Government enacted the Railway Standardisation (South Australia) Agreement Act[24] which looked at the upgrade of all lines to standard gauge, including the Central Australia Line. The act was more of an overarching statement rather than a commitment to complete all lines in a set order or time.

The Leigh Creek and Telford Cut Coalfields were first excavated in 1943 following a shortage of coal during World War II and between 1951 and 1954, discussions surrounded two route options to upgrade to standard gauge. Option B2 was upgrading the current line to Telford, the C option was the chosen option which was up to 32 km west of the current line.[59] The South Australian and Federal governments bickered over by-passing the township of Quorn and it was only after a Royal Commission, that the Commonwealth Railways got their way with option C avoiding Quorn and the work commenced on the 255 km line.

The South Australian Government and agriculturists wanted to extend the standard gauge line a further 88 km to Marree.[60][61] This would reduce the bruising of the cattle and shorten the time to market as well as increase the number of cattle that could be transferred. Transferring livestock at Telford was considered problematic with coal dust and machinery.[62]

The federal minister of transport travelled to the area in mid-1954 and confirmed the extension from Telford Cut to Marree. The cost was set at 1,241,000 pounds, compared to 821,000 pounds to bring the existing line up to an acceptable level including ballasting and possible bridge replacement.[63]

The Minister for Transport, Senator George McLeay and the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner, Mr. P. J. Hannaberry, both stated that they were "strongly in favour" to extend the standard gauge line all the way to Alice Springs in 1952.[64] By April 1954, Hannaberry had changed his mind and stated it was "out of the question".[65]

In 1957, the Marree Railway Line, the new standard gauge line from Stirling North (near Port Augusta) to Marree (372 km from Port Augusta) opened, replacing the existing line via Quorn. This was predominantly for coal to be transferred from the Leigh Creek and Telford Cut Coalfields to the power stations at Stirling North. The line was extended to Marree for cattle to be transported to market from the grazing plains, including around the Birdsville Track.

Closures

With the new standard gauge Marree Railway Line opened, the narrow gauge line began to close in sections:

Heritage trail, restoration and preserved sections

The old railway route is now a heritage trail.[69]

In 1974, the newly formed Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society commenced a restoration program, headquartered at Quorn at the picturesque southern end of the railway; Stirling North, near Port Augusta, was the other terminus. It progressively restored and operated the Pichi Richi Railway as a working museum, upgrading track and undertaking preservation of a wide range of South Australian Railways rolling stock and some locomotives, secured against deterioration in the former running sheds. Between 2000 and 2002, the line was extended 12 km (7 mi) to Port Augusta station, running alongside the standard gauge mainline for about half the distance.[70]

In May 2016, traffic ceased on the standard gauge line between Telford Cut coal mine and Port Augusta after the power station at Port Paterson was shut down.[71]

The Farina Restoration Project Group, whose members travel to the former town at agreed periods to work voluntarily, is restoring the small, now-deserted railway township of Farina.[72]

List of stations, stopping places and localities

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "Central Australia Railway". War Time History of the Commonwealth Railways. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Port Augusta-Oodnadatta railway". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 24 October 1925. p. 16 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "North-South railway". The Northern Miner. Charters Towers. 28 April 1921. p. 16 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "South Australia Great Northern Railway Impresses Commissioner". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill. 4 December 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 9 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Newspaper archive". Trove. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2017.[dead link]
  6. ^ Newell, Brian R (2000), Following the Old Ghan railway line 1878–1980 (1st ed.), Brian R Newell, ISBN 978-0-646-39415-2
  7. ^ Pearce, Kenn (2011), Riding the 'wire fence' to the Alice: memories of the old Ghan railway, Railmac Publications, ISBN 978-1-86477-079-7
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay Browne, Jeremy R. (2020). Along the old Ghan line: a guide to discovering the old Ghan railway: Port Augusta to Alice Springs. Adelaide: Jeremy Browne. ISBN 9780646821870.
  9. ^ Barrington, Rodney, ed. (2024). Into the Pass: a history of Pichi Richi Railway. Quorn, South Australia: Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society Inc. ISBN 9781763538726.
  10. ^ "The Port Augusta Railway". Adelaide Advertiser / The Express and Telegraph. No. 18 January 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "The Port Augusta Railway". South Australian Register. No. 11 August 1870. South Australian Register. 11 August 1870. Retrieved 1 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Port Augusta Railway". Border Watch (Mt Gambier). No. 11 December 1869. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ a b "The Port Augusta Railway". The South Australian Advertiser. 5 August 1871. p. 3. Retrieved 2 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Opening of the Northern Extension Railway". South Australian Register. Adelaide, SA. 30 August 1870. p. 5. Retrieved 11 June 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "The Northern Railway Act 1862". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  16. ^ "The Port Augusta and Northern Railway Act 1864". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  17. ^ "The Sale of Railways Act 1864". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  18. ^ "The Port Augusta and Northern Railway Act 1867". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  19. ^ "Port Augusta and Government Gums Railway Act 1876". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  20. ^ "Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway Act 1883". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  21. ^ "The Transcontinental Railway Act 1902". Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  22. ^ "The Northern Territory Surrender Act 1907" (PDF). Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  23. ^ "Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government. 27 December 2011.
  24. ^ a b "Railway Standardization (South Australia) Agreement Act 1949" (PDF). Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  25. ^ "Brachina to Leigh Creek North Coalfield Railway Act 1950" (PDF). Australasian Legal Information Institute. UTS and UNSW Faculties of Law.
  26. ^ "Port Augusta to Alice Springs Railway (Alteration of Route) Act 1950". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government. 14 December 1950.
  27. ^ "Stirling North to Brachina Railway Act 1952". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government.
  28. ^ "Leigh Creek North Coalfield to Marree (Conversion to Standard Gauge) Act 1954". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government. 15 December 1950.
  29. ^ "Tarcoola to Alice Springs Railway Act 1974". Federal Register of Legislation. Australian Government. 18 October 1974.
  30. ^ "Alice Springs to Darwin Railway Act 1997". South Australian Legislation. Government of South Australia. 22 November 2021.
  31. ^ "The Port Augusta Railway". The South Australian Advertiser: 5. January 1878 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ a b "THE PORT AUGUSTA AND GOVERNMENT GUMS RAILWAY". Adelaide Observer. 19 January 1878. p. 6 – via National Library of Australia.
  33. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics. "Completion of the Adelaide to Darwin railway line". Year Book Australia, 2005. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  34. ^ Fuller, Basil (2012), The Ghan: the story of the Alice Springs railway, New Holland Publishers, ISBN 978-1-74257-275-8
  35. ^ "Central Australia Railway Development Commonwealth Scheme". Advocate, Burnie, Tasmania. 3 June 1925 – via National Library of Australia.
  36. ^ "TO TAP CENTRAL AUSTRALIA". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). 20 January 1926. p. 7 – via National Library of Australia.
  37. ^ "The Senate – Alice Springs Railway". The Age. Fairfax. Sydney Morning Herald. 29 January 1926. p. 7. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  38. ^ "(article)". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 March 1927.[full citation needed]
  39. ^ "(article)". The Age. 5 August 1929. p. 8.[full citation needed]
  40. ^ "(article)". The Age. 1 June 1929. p. 20.[full citation needed]
  41. ^ "Central Australia Railway Floods". Townsville Daily Bulletin. 16 March 1939. p. 12. Retrieved 8 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  42. ^ "The Australian Outback". Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways. Episode 2. 13 December 2012. Channel 5. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  43. ^ "Maps depicting the explorations and surveys of John McDouall Stuart". John McDouall Stuart Society. 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  44. ^ Wilson, John (2021). The train to Oodna-Woop-Woop: a social history of the Afghan Express. Banksia Park, South Australia: Sarlines Railway Books. ISBN 9780646842844.
  45. ^ "Brachina railway disaster". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1889 – 1931). 3 February 1911. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  46. ^ "Floods in the Quorn district". Chronicle (Adelaide, SA: 1895 – 1954). 2 January 1915. p. 15. Retrieved 15 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  47. ^ "Central Australia". Age (Melbourne, Vic.: 1854 – 1954). 26 March 1926. p. 9. Retrieved 15 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  48. ^ "Isolated". Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842 – 1954). 30 December 1929. p. 9. Retrieved 15 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  49. ^ "Drought of seven years has been broken". Evening News (Rockhampton, Qld.: 1924 – 1941). 30 December 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 15 August 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  50. ^ "Central Australia Railway". The Telegraph (Brisbane, Queensland). No. 26 November 1930. 26 November 1930. p. 14. Retrieved 28 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  51. ^ "Message from Alice Springs". The Age. No. 25, 237. (Original, Melbourne. Digital reproduction, Canberra: National Library of Australia – Trove digital newspaper archive). 4 March 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  52. ^ "Train weeks late". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. p. 12. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  53. ^ "Floods isolate 120 mile area of Central Aust. Railway". Newcastle Sun (NSW: 1918 – 1954). 4 February 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  54. ^ "Alice Springs line cut". Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW: 1888 – 1954). 17 March 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  55. ^ a b c Rodney Barrington, ed. (2024). Into the Pass: a history of the Pichi Richi Railway. Quorn, South Australia: Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society Inc. ISBN 978 1 7635387 3 3.
  56. ^ "Flood bound 114 fly to "Alice"". The Age. Fairfax. 20 May 1963. p. 3. Retrieved 23 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  57. ^ "Federal Trains Increase". The Worker (Brisbane). 24 November 1944. p. 12. Retrieved 5 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  58. ^ "New diesel electric locos for Central Australia Railway". Quorn Mercury. 10 June 1854. p. 1 – via National Library of Australia.
  59. ^ "Route of standard Gauge Railway". Quorn Mercury (SA: 1895 – 1954). 8 November 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  60. ^ "Marree Railway "High Priority"". Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1931 – 1954). 11 March 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  61. ^ "BROAD GAUGE TO MARREE, S.A. AIM". Mail (Adelaide, SA: 1912 – 1954). 26 April 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  62. ^ "THREE PARTIES WOULD GAIN BY EXTENSION TO MARREE". News (Adelaide, SA: 1923 – 1954). 5 May 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  63. ^ "BROAD GAUGE RAILWAY FOR NORTH". Chronicle (Adelaide, SA: 1895 – 1954). 6 May 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  64. ^ "Standard gauge to Marree". Quorn Mercury (SA: 1895 – 1954). 10 July 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  65. ^ "ALICE BROAD GAUGE "OUT OF QUESTION"". News (Adelaide, SA: 1923 – 1954). 30 April 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 2 September 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  66. ^ "Route Information Oodnadatta to Alice Springs". Chris's Commonwealth Railways Information (ComRails). Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  67. ^ Reid, Graeme (1996), The Demise of the Central Australia Railway, Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division
  68. ^ Nicholson, Leanne (7 October 2015). "Alinta to close Leigh Creek mine in weeks". Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  69. ^ South Australian Tourism Commission; Northern Territory Department of Lands, Planning & Environment (2001), Discover the outback Port Augusta to Alice Springs: Old Ghan Railway heritage trail, Northern Territory Department of Lands, Planning & Environment, South Australian Tourism Commission, retrieved 8 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia
  70. ^ "Pichi Richi Railway: authentic outback railway in the Flinders Ranges". Pichi Richi Railway. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  71. ^ Gage, Nicola (18 November 2015). "Leigh Creek mine site should be revegetated, traditional owners urge". ABC News (Australia).
  72. ^ "(home)". Farina Restoration Project Group.

Further reading

External links